


Crushed Grapes

by Fiddle_Sticks



Series: Modern Elderburn AU [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Canon Team Sloth, Elderburn, F/F, F/M, No Grimm/Dust/Semblance AU, Other Relationships Revealed In Later Chapters, Winery Train Tour
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 02:04:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6101206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiddle_Sticks/pseuds/Fiddle_Sticks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Winter was a proud woman, her favorite achievement on the long list of skills mastered being her unparalleled knowledge and love of wine. </p><p>A new chapter in her life begins when her annual vacation with Weiss turns into a solo jaunt and Winter encounters a spicy Shiraz of a woman named Yang.</p><p>It's not (Xiao) long until the Atlesian is interested in a sample.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An unpleasant aroma of Sulfur and Sherry

**Author's Note:**

> Modern AU set in remnant, without Grimm/Dust/Semblances. I'm fairly fond of Freezerburn, but I had been meaning to write an Elderburn fic ever since older sis Schnee came into the picture. I meant for this to be a one-shot, but I already have about 6k words worth of story written depicting a weekend of wine-filled antics. There will probably be around ten chapters, the first 4-5 coming fairly quickly. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! First chapter is simple and sweet. 
> 
> (Legal age to drink alcohol is 18 all throughout Remnant, I'm going to assume/imply)
> 
> Cheers~
> 
> [DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything RWBY related. All rights go to Rooster Teeth.]

Winter’s first reaction to her sister’s vague scroll message informing her that she would be missing the Southern Vale Valley Wine Train tour was of concern; they had been going annually since Weiss was of legal age, and for five years it had been the only constant time the girls had seen each other in person. It was also completely out of Weiss’ character to cancel the night of, and Winter had counted at least three grammatical errors in the message.

The shot of concern was quickly chased by a cocktail of cold fury, annoyance, and betrayal when Winter left her hotel at 1:16 in the morning for Weiss’ Vale vacation condo, only to discover that her little sister was not in danger but merely intoxicated and sleeping with some girl she had matched with on a dating app.

 

“I didn’t mean to drink soooooooo much, Winterrrr.” A robe was haphazardly draped over half her body as Weiss slurred a drunk’s apology through the crack of the condo door, avoiding her older sister’s glacial glare. “I was suuuuuuper nervous because this girl is sooooo pretty and smart and you won’t _believe_ what she can do with her tou-“

Winter had heard enough at that point and promptly pulled the door shut, her inebriated sibling’s wailing apologies becoming quieter and harder to decipher as she stormed down the hall and into the elevator.

Despite the anger keeping her up most of the night and the meaning behind the trip officially ruined, Winter wasn’t going to let Weiss’ poor choices stop her from having a good time; spending quality time and catching up with her sister was the primary reason she always looked forward to this annual trip, but not the only one. This Wine Train tour in particular was able to match and rise above Winter’s exquisite tastes and expectations each time, even if she had to pull some strings in the beginning to upgrade and customize the highest package the company offered.

 

The next day at a quarter to eleven, Winter was relaxing in her private cart’s luxurious lounge as she swirled a South Valesian Malbec- aged eight years, it was intriguingly electric-purple in color with an explosive nose of dark chocolate and incredibly rich notes of deep plum, wild blueberries, and roasted coffee. The midpalate was a touch hollow, though Winter chalked that up to her glass being directly poured from the bottle.

She had asked to start off with a strong, unique wine; Winter was glad that something was going right that weekend. The young woman was gently interrupted by one of the two wine attendants that occupied the deluxe train cart, who gave a warm smile and asked how the first sample ranked.

“Lovely start to the day Gwen, I’m pleased as always with your selections. I would very much enjoy a decanted sample later this evening, if you could prepare that for me.” Winter gave a short pause, the thought of Weiss upsetting their special excursion for a one night stand stirring up another rush of vexation.

“On second thought- prepare enough for two separate glasses if you would be so kind. Today I’m mourning the loss of my trust and faith in my sister.” She spoke bitter words with a wry, sardonic tone so the staff wouldn’t fear she was upset at them, and Gwen gave a small nod as the other attendant immediately began the task.

“It’s our pleasure, Miss Schnee. We are terribly sorry that your sister was unable to join us this weekend. I believe you two usually stayed on the train throughout the day, but we would like to extend access to the tours of the Wineries to you. We know you enjoy your privacy and it is completely up to you- however I personally would hate for you to have a less than remarkable time today, and the regular tour is fairly small this weekend.”

 

Winter couldn’t help but smile; SVVWT was truly the best of the best in all criteria. She did take a moment to mull the offer over; Gwen’s observation was correct in that the Schnee sisters never bothered with the standard package of going out to the vineyards themselves. It could be a nice alternative to stewing in bitter emotions with no-one to strike up a conversation.

“That actually sounds very nice, I would love to. Thank you for the kind gesture, you didn’t have to offer.” Winter replied, but Gwen was quick to counter.

“All our guests are greatly cherished Miss Schnee, and you’ve been so kind to us in the past. It’s the least we could do. We will be arriving at Tukson Vines winery in about half an hour, and Nolan behind us will escort you out to the rest of the group when we get to the station.”

“Excellent. I do hope the company is paying the staff well; you and Nolan are impeccable as always. And if not-“ Winter pulled out two checks she had made in advance, handing them to a flushed Gwen.

“And as usual Miss Schnee you are far too kind. We are extremely grateful for your benevolent patronage.” The blushing girl insisted, giving a small curtsy as she headed towards the back of the cart near the other attendant. Winter gave a soft chuckle, and then stirred her Malbec a little more as her vision went to the rolling hills of amber crops outside her window.

 

_Weiss was foolish to abandon me for a moment of lust._


	2. A bold Shiraz takes center-stage

The SVVWT proved to be a more popular tour than Winter assumed, as she was escorted into the “small” group of twenty-four once the train docked in the rural village of Myrsi. Unfazed, the white haired aristocrat attached herself to the left side of the tour and began to listen to one of the employees of Tukson Vines as they gave a short run-down of the itinerary.

“We’ll be taking the winery’s club cars to the estate- it’s only a ten minutes drive through Myrsi and into the Frysian hills. Once we arrive there will be a thirty-five minute tour of the grounds, followed by lunch in our expansive cellar provided by South Valesian Valley Wine Train. Samples of our highlighted wine will be provided during both segments, and you will be free to purchase bottles from our stock if you are interested.” As the tall Faunus boy spoke, his simian tail swishing in the lulling Puelche wind, Winter suddenly felt a thin arm wrap around one of hers.

Turning, she discovered an elderly woman was holding onto her; she was in a simple pink skirt down to her ankles, with an ivory top, and her teal eyes twinkled through her graying peach bangs. Winter was about to awkwardly object when the woman replied with a chipper voice.

 

“Have you been on this tour before? My husband and I are here for our anniversary- number forty-eight! We’ve never been on a wine tour before and never one that goes by train!” The older woman gave Winter’s arm a friendly squeeze and was all smiles. Winter managed to nod and get a short “Yes, I-“ before she was cut off again, this time by an older gentleman in a dark green tailcoat with charcoal grey hair back in a ponytail.

“Nora, what have I told you about latching onto the young folks without their permission? Some people like their personal space.” He was soft in his chiding, a subtle hint that this was not the first nor last time the gentleman would playfully scold his wife. Nora snorted, turning back up to Winter.

“But dear look at her! She’s all alone, I saw her come out of the back cart! You’re a real hot-shot, aren’t you?” The peppy woman gave a grin. “But you shouldn’t be out here all by yourself! Did someone break your heart? Did you lose a friend? Death in the family? Oh Ren dear look at her, she’s not a day over twenty-five and she’s wracked with pain and misery!” Nora wailed dramatically as Winter turned red in the face, noticing out the corner of her eye that the Tukson Vines employee was starting to seat guests in the various club carts.

“I’m actually twenty-nine... and I was supposed to be here with my sister,” Winter started. In most cases when a strange plebeian would confront her she’d douse them with a bucket of cold aloofness and hostility, but this time she had stopped herself. This woman didn’t seem to mean her harm or trouble; her personality just appeared to be a tad on the strong side. Nora’s surprising warmth coupled with the low blow of Weiss shirking her off gave Winter the push she needed to attempt at being friendlier to others. “But she ended up being busy with other things, I suppose.” She ended with a touch of quiet sadness, and Nora was sent into another tizzy.

“Oh my goodness how terrible! What a sad thing, sisters should stick together no matter what! Ren and I haven’t had any family for over half a century now but we have a close friend with SEVEN sisters! And he’d never abandon them, not on his life!” Nora paused her rapid train of thought as Sun (Winter could see his employee name tag clear now) motioned for the three to be seated onto the nearest cart. “Oh goody, there’s room for you too dear! You should stay with us instead of touring all on your lonesome, It’ll be so much fun right Ren?” Nora beamed, already starting to pull Winter and her husband to the vehicle with force the younger woman thought wasn’t possible.

 

“I- Ah, okay then.” Winter stammered as she tried her best to keep up with Nora’s fervent pace, who gave a squeal of childish delight at the confirmation.

“Fantastic! Oh, hello there!” Nora waved at two girls who were already in the cart, though Winter was more preoccupied listening to Ren whisper a hushed “I’m sorry about my wife, she’s very excitable.” in her ear. The older man then noticed the three remaining seats, and turned to his beloved.

“Nora darling, go ahead and take the passenger seat. I’ll sit on the back with…” “I’m Winter, it’s a pleasure.” He trailed, and the Atlesian woman helped him finish with a polite smile.

“What a lovely name for a lovely young girl!” Nora sang, and despite Ren’s protests she plopped down on the back seat of the club cart with her hand motioning for Winter. “I want to sit with our pretty new friend, I know you’d rather have the front all to yourself anyway Renny!”

 

She then winked at the other girl now sitting down beside her, as Ren gave a small chuckle and headed towards the last seat. “Ren loves his quiet time almost as much as he loves me!” The twinkle in Nora’s eyes at the mention of her husband was a comfort to Winter; she hardly ever admitted to herself that she was lonely in the romance department, but it was nonetheless true. Her two new acquaintances gave her some kind of hope for the future, and it was then Winter decided to fully allow herself the pleasure of enjoying the day.

“Well I’d hope he loves you more, given the time you two have shared together.” She smiled, holding onto the side of the cart as the vehicle abruptly began to cruise through the little village. “You had said it’s been forty years now?”

“Forty-eight years married! I’ve known him since I was born though, he’s only got a few weeks on me! Our families were right across the village center from each other; Ren was my first friend, my first and only love.” Nora smiled as she rubbed a ring on her index finger, moving it closer to show Winter when the former noticed curious eyes interested in the object. It was small and simple but gorgeous regardless- a silver band with an elegantly carved lotus flower, traced with touches of gold and a petite pink diamond in the center.

“It’s a lovely ring Nora. Pink is close to your heart?” Winter asked, noting the diamond, her wardrobe, and the collection of pink beads and trinkets she wore on her wrists.

“It’s my color! You should have seen Ren back in the day, he dyed a pink streak in his hair for the longest time! He still won’t admit to it but I know he did it to get my attention; not that he needed too! I’ve always been head over heels for that man.”

 

Winter saw Nora was about to go in for another round of intrusive questions, but was cut off as the club cart hit a hard bump on the dirt road- the two woman in the back seat held on tight as they were sent a couple of inches into the air, and when Winter came back down there suddenly was a jungle of blonde hair tangling around her face.

“Wha- I-“ She sputtered, getting her hands knotted in the mess as well trying to break free.

“Ow! Careful that hurts!” “Oh, Sis! Your hair is getting all in the lady behind us!”

 

Two new voices rang through the air, and Winter felt unfamiliar hands around her trying to help untangle the golden locks. As they did one of the voices kept talking, apologizing profusely.

“I’m so sorry ma’am! Yang’s got a lot of hair, it’s really pretty and always smells nice but its all in your face now and I’m sure that’s not something you really wanted and here let me help you get it out I’m so s-“

 

Normally, Winter would have chewed the two mystery girls out to shreds- but hell, normally Winter wouldn’t have allowed herself to get into this scenario.

 _This is a day where everything doesn’t have to be perfect and precise,_ Winter thought to herself as the blonde, Yang, was cutting off her sibling and telling her to stop talking and help detangle. _It wasn’t their fault, there’s  no need to be cruel to them. Take a page out of Nora’s book; make some friends and smile a little._

Another rapidly spewed apology was given as the Atlesian was freed from the thicket of follicles.  “Um, are you okay ma’am? We’re really really sorry, I’m Ruby and that was my sister Yang and she didn-“

“My name is Winter, pleasure to meet you Ruby.” She did her best and managed to give the small girl the warmest smile she had ever given a complete stranger, continuing as to reassure Ruby.

 

“There’s no reason to apologize, it was an accident. Yang, was it? Are you alright?” Winter was able to see Ruby by turning her head to the left and looking back a bit (She looked as young as she sounded, with that baby face and short dyed hair. She was probably younger than Weiss), but couldn’t see the blonde directly behind her unless she wanted to reposition her entire body.

“Yeah, I’m good. Sorry about that, my hair is a bit of a wild animal sometimes.” The backs of their heads were so close that the voice speaking vibrated through Winter’s, and she noted that it was oddly complex. The girl spoke with an airy sort of grace, and honey sprung from her lips with ease; yet, the Atlesian aristocrat could tell from the half-hearted laugh and the lower, soft tone that she wasn’t at her peak. Did she really injure the girl by pulling too hard, or were there other reasons for that hurting voice?

 

Why did Winter suddenly care? Why did she have the urge to comfort the girl?

 

“Like I said, it’s no problem whatsoever. You can’t control what the cart hits and how your hair acts in response.” Winter’s words were always carefully spoken and had a level of poise, but she made the concentrated effort to lay the sympathy and understanding on thick. Yang said something too low to hear above the club cart and the wind. Ruby gave an exaggerated sigh, and then a toothy smile.

“Yang and I are really appreciative of that. She hasn’t been out in a while so I decided to find something fun to do! Neither of us are huge wine people but its soooo pretty out here and I’m sure there’ll be stuff we can learn to like!”  Ruby spoke as if she downed shots of liquid sugar before the train tour, and Winter thought the girl would find kinship with a certain elderly fire-cracker she had just met today as well.

 

As if on cue, Nora nearly turned all the way around to excitedly exclaim “That’s so sweet of you to look out for your sister! Winter, yours could learn a thing or two from these girls!”

“Oh? What happened with your sister?” As Ruby spoke she did what Nora couldn’t and her face was suddenly in-between the two women’s in the back seat.

“Her sister abandoned her! Broke her darling heart, she’d been excited for this trip all this year!” How Nora knew that last part, Winter wasn’t sure. _I suppose if you exaggerate enough you’ll eventually get some parts of the story right._

“Oh that’s awful! I’m so sorry Winter!”

“Isn’t it Ruby? Simple dreadful! Ren and I have taken poor Winter under our wing, and we’re going to have a swell time without that no good sister!”

“Oh so you two aren’t related? I’m so sorry I thought you were her grandmother!”

 

Nora gave a howl of laughter at that, and the two began a stream of chatter that lasted throughout the rest of the ride to the vineyard. Winter smiled as they prattled on with energy the white haired beauty couldn’t fathom, but then turned away as she noticed a soft curl of golden hair flutter in the breeze beside her.

 

_Yang. Her name is Yang. Something seems off, I wonder if she’s alright…_

_…I also wonder if she’s cute._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I hope you love old and married Renora as much as I do, they are quite fun to write. 
> 
> In this fic, the ages of the characters so far revealed are:  
> Winter (29) Weiss (23) Yang (25) Ruby (19) Ren (74) Nora (74)
> 
> Also, in case you aren't familiar with certain wine terminology, here's a few choice words:
> 
> Aroma: The scent of the fruit used to make the wine. 
> 
> Bouquet: The scent of the wine imparted through through its vintification and aging; usually in reference to red wines and describes what and how the wine was aged.
> 
> Nose: The term used to combine aroma and bouquet of a wine, the overall smell. 
> 
> Finish: The finish is the overall taste that remains in your mouth after you’ve swallowed the wine; it’s the length and pleasantness of the aftertaste. A well-balanced, full-bodied wine usually has a long finish, while a well-balanced, light-bodied wine has a shorter finish.
> 
> Hollow: A term to describe a wine that tastes diluted or lacking in flavor depth. Some wines have a hollow taste right out of the bottle and without sitting. 
> 
> Decant: To decant a wine is to pour or filter a wine through the air, to allow the natural flavors and tastes to expand and intensify. The average decanting time is five minutes to two hours, though I've seen a few wine connoisseurs leave their wine to decant for up to 3-5 hours depending on what they're drinking. 
> 
> Cheers~


	3. Spilled wine unattended stains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Castello Di Tukson is based off the lovely Castello Di Amorosa in the Napa Valley  
> http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/Tour-the-Castle  
> Above link will show you the grounds, and can help you envision the setting a little better.
> 
> Thank you for continuing to read, hopefully you're enjoying the story. 
> 
> Cheers~

“Oh Ren, look at the castle! It’s fit for a queen~!” “It’s even prettier than the pictures on the website Yang look at it look!!”

Winter gave a small chuckle as her mental assumption had proved to be spot-on; Tukson Vines had been on the first two SVVWT tours she experienced, and seeing the captivating castle villa in person for the first time always proved to be magical. The older woman had bet herself that the two rambunctious cart mates would lose their minds at the sight of the tremendous architecture. Even now Winter was filled with a warm glow, taking in the familiar rustic colors of the castle’s brickwork and the expansive vineyard surrounding the estate.

 

“Damn. This place is heaven on Remnant.”

Winter turned way from the vineyard towards the low voice, and finally caught a complete view of the two sisters from the club cart.

 

Ruby was a petite girl with pale complexion, sporting a cute cream-colored sundress with prints of strawberries (later in the day Winter noticed that each strawberry had either a smiley face, silly face, or surprised face). As she stepped off the cart she desperately tugged on the hem, trying to pull it past her knees with no success. “Did I really have to wear a dress Yang? I had plenty of clean jeans and T-shirts.” Ruby pouted.

“You were the one that dragged us onto this fancy-schmancy wine tour. I told you we needed to be presentable. Not my fault you only have one nice dress!” The older blonde laughed, and the first full glimpse of Yang proved to be on par with the majesty of Castello Di Tukson.

 

Winter had to wonder if the two girls were actually blood related, because while Ruby’s skin was close to the color of chalk, Yang was  _bronze_ ; the sun was high in the sky and dancing off that gorgeous copper skin. Yang’s own sundress was as long as Nora’s skirt, but it was blue topaz slowly melting into a turquoise sea from top to bottom and fluttered through the wind as she walked towards her sister. Winter was a little surprised at the choice of a long sleeved cardigan- it was open and left room to show off her ample bust, but it seemed as though she would get a little hot with that covering most of her arms. With matching bracelets and earrings to complete the look, Yang surely was royalty of the tropics; a complete opposite to the Ice Queen of Atlas.

 

“You two are such pretty young things!” Nora clapped her hands together, Ren now silently by her side with an arm around her waist. “ _Especially_ you Yang, you’ve put all of us to shame! Hasn’t she Winter?” She turned to the wealthy woman, who was too distracted by the sight of the Caribbean goddess in front of her to detect the smug, knowing tone in the older woman’s voice.

“Oh? Erm, yes.” Winter faltered, but managed to stay collected and meet Yang’s lavender eyes with her own set of steel blue. “The striking ocean colors suit you extremely well Yang. You are quite fetching.” She complimented, noting with a smile that the blonde beauty’s cheeks gained a faint rosy tint.

“If you say so.” She muttered somberly under her breath, her left hand reaching over to hold onto her dangling right arm. Winter once more saw a shadow of something troubling her; Ruby quickly jabbed her sister in the side at the same time as Ren piped up. “It looks like the rest of the group is heading into the castle, we might want to catch up with them.”

“Of course! Let’s go girls, we wouldn’t want to miss out on the fancy alcohol~” Nora chirped, gripping onto Winter again as the three of them headed to a small entrance leading to the courtyard- Yang and Ruby trailing a little behind them and speaking under their breath.

 

“That was a genuine compliment Yang! She didn’t notice at all, and she thinks you’re _quite fetching._ ” Was all Winter could catch from the two before Nora interrupted her eavesdropping.

 

“So you’ve been here before, right Winter? Which wines are the best?” She questioned, rifling through a small tour brochure with the selected samplings of the day. “Tukson Vines… here we go! Four different samples, are they the same ones you’ve tried? Do they change the samples every tour??”

“It’s possible, but this vineyard has a smaller variety than the other locations we’ll be visiting. I believe the selections are the same as before, but let me check.” Winter replied, her eyes now focused on the long table set up with decanted samples and employees holding additional bottles; they had entered the lavish courtyard, which was decorated with bright streamers and complete with ambiance music played by a small quartet.

 

The Atlesian woman walked ahead of the elderly couple to the table, examining the four tags that labeled each of the different wines.

“Just as I thought, the same two Malbecs and Barberas.” Winter spoke under her breath to nobody in particular, turning just in time to catch Ren and Nora as well as Yang and Ruby walking up behind her.

“What’s good, Miss Professional?” Nora winked, her head resting on the side of her husband’s right shoulder. “Ren likes the floral and herby stuff. I just want something that’s not too terribly dry!”

 

“You’ll probably want one of the Barberas to start then Nora- the two samples on the left. They’re lower in tannin content which is where you get the dry taste. The Coppo d’Asti is strong but not too tart, consisting of primarily raspberry and mulberry notes. As for you Ren, I think you might like the Noemía Malbec. Very smoky nose, it has bold flavors of clove and blackberry. Some people do claim they taste notes of licorice though, just warning you in advance.” Winter recommended, stepping away from the table and towards where Yang and Ruby stood so the couple could pick their drinks.

“Thank you.” “Aw Ren look at that! She’s so knowledgeable at such a young age! Thank you Winter dear~!”

Ren gave a polite nod, with Nora shouting her thanks as she dragged him closer to the table. Winter then turned to the two sisters, the younger of the two staring at her with large eyes and awe.

 

“You really ARE a pro! You said stuff about tannings and noses and other things I have no idea what they are but it was sooo cool!” Ruby squealed, as Winter smiled and hid a wince at the butchering of the terms. “Me next please! I’ve only had the cheap pinot grigio Yang buys that comes in boxes, so I’m not sure what I’d like!”

“Hey don’t knock my boxed wine! It’s free for you, cheap for me, and it gets the job done!” Yang exclaimed with mock hurt, bringing in Ruby for a choke hold that was not lightly received. Winter stood there for the next two minutes pondering what was more mortifying: A drop-dead attractive woman in formal dress rough-housing with her sister in the middle of a wine tour, or the fact that _boxed wine_ actually existed.

 

Although Winter would be lying if she said she didn’t find the fact that the two sisters were so comfortable which each other to be quite endearing. She could never imagine herself and Weiss participating in silly antics.

 

“Yang, I need you to stop wrestling with your sister if I’m going to recommend her something to taste.” Winter chided, though she purposefully lacked her trademark sub-zero edge. The two girls immediately snapped their heads out of their own little world and stared at Winter like deer in headlights; Yang's left arm dropped Ruby and she blushed hard enough for the crimson hues to clearly cover those copper cheeks.

“Right. Fancy-schmancy wine tour, probably not the most appropriate place to put somebody in a head lock.” The blonde spoke so simply and honestly, Winter couldn’t help the burst of laughter that came out of her mouth.

“You’d be surprised actually. I’ve actually never been off the train before, but I’ve seen plenty of drunk, fury-filled saps being carted off for physical violence from my window.” The older woman snorted, gesturing the other girls to follow her closer to the wine samplings.

 

“As for wine you might enjoy Ruby, you might not find something here or possibly throughout the entire day, sadly to say. While wine tours don’t discriminate so long as you have the money and _act civilized_ ,” She raised an eyebrow playfully at Yang before finishing with a tone of sympathy. “The SVVWT is known for its highly cultured destinations and top-graded wine. I think you two and Ren and Nora are the only pairs in a while that have toured and don’t have wine heavily incorporated into their lifestyle.”

“However, the Tuksyrian Barbera does have a strawberry taste to it.” Winter noted, and a wide grin formed on Ruby’s face. “I will warn you though that you’ll probably taste more of a dark cherry flavor.”

 

“That’s okay! Trying new things is how you expand your likes! I knew when I booked our tickets that we’d probably embarrass ourselves.” Ruby turned to her sister and gave a loving smile, her hand gently reaching over to touch Yang’s right arm. “But I wanted to take my sister out and do something new and fun; she deserves it.”  

Yang gave a smile Winter knew was genuine and free from that looming darkness, and ruffled Ruby’s hair (who gave a squawk of protest in response). “I love you too squirt. Go get some adult grape juice and find Nora and Ren so we can stay close for the tour.”

 

Ruby grabbed the glass of wine that was suggested to her, then gave a mock salute with her other hand.

“As you wish, Dictator D-Cup!”

“At ease, Corporal Cookie-Snatcher.” Yang commanded, a grin on her face as her little sister giggled and left to wade through the small group to where their new friends were.

 

“…Dictator D-Cup?” Winter broke the silence, causing Yang once more to snap out of her personal bubble and go flush.

“Shit. That’s kind of embarrassing.” The Yang admitted, her left arm behind her back and holding onto her right as she explained with a twinge of shame. “The girls have been this size pretty much since I was thirteen, and little Rubes was- and maybe still is- a little jealous. I think she tried to make it an insult at first but it was so ridiculously dorky, I couldn’t be mad with her. That and my comeback just kind of stuck, I guess.”

 

“Ah.” Was all that Winter could reply with, still in a blend of shock and awe that this conversation was actually happening. _She’s attractive, she’s got a strong relationship with her sister, and talks about her breasts freely to strangers. Dust._

The older woman was could tell that Yang was usually a fairly open and blunt individual, and she was completely intrigued; where did the parts of her holding back begin with the real her and end with-

 

“Yeah, you definitely aren’t interested in anything we have to say. You’re some rich hot-shot and we’re country bumpkins from Patch mingling where we don’t belong. Sorry for bothering you. ” Winter cursed herself as the bitter words snapped her out of her train of thought and found that the blonde had built up a wall in the silence.

 

Yang almost got away, turning to meet up with Ruby and get away from the awkward moment, when Winter unconsciously reached out and grabbed her right arm to object against the assumptions.

 

Yang whipped around like a crack of lightning, her face a combination of unadulterated fear and unbridled rage. There was a second where Winter couldn’t move, paralyzed by that haunting expression; Yang was an animal with its leg caught in an iron jaw, staring into the eyes of its murderous captor. The blonde took the other woman’s shock as a chance to break free of the grasp, her right arm pulling away from Winter. Yang gave her once last glance before hustling away, not even in the direction where Ruby, Nora, and Ren were listening to the history of Castello Di Tukson.

 

 _Way to seize the day as your own._ The sour thought made its way through Winter as she regained mobility. _The cute girl is scared of you, angry at you, and thinks you’re a rich pompous ass-wipe._

The turn of events definitely put a damper on Winter’s day to live life to the fullest and break out of her barriers, but she willed herself not to give up.

_The tour is still young, and you can’t allow yourself to accept this loss. You’re Winter Schnee, the woman who saved your father’s company from six different lawsuits before you had even graduated. The woman who left your family’s legacy and wealth to build your own, and now has a successful law firm. You were raised to never back down and to stay determined; this is a challenge now, and you’ve been wired to take every one that comes your way._

Drawing in breath, Winter allowed herself to down a glass of the fruity Coppo d’ Asti for courage before grabbing two glasses of the darker Mapema Malbec and following the group that was moving to view the vineyards surrounding the castle.

 

_Go fix your relations with that attractive woman, find out if your attraction is more than just one-sided and physical, and for dust’s sake start having some **fun.**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boxed wine is actually fairly tasty, if you can find a good brand haha
> 
> Please feel free to leave a comment and/or Kudos if you so desire.
> 
> Cheers~


	4. Fooled by the watery nose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each chapter has been getting longer and longer... this one sits at 3K whoopsies. 
> 
> But this is a really interesting one, I think. I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Cheers~

It wasn’t hard to find Yang once the group had settled outside of Castello Di Tukson, the tour guide taking them into the nearest patch of vineyard to explain the differences between their two types of grapes; even if she had taken dead center of the pack, Winter would have been able to spot that mane of golden silk and vibrant dress in a crowd of hundreds. Lucky for the Atlesian, Yang placed herself on the outskirts of the group- a doleful look was painted across her face as she idly fiddled with a nearby vine of Barberas.

 

Winter took an arced path towards the other woman, so that she would see her coming and not be startled.

“Yang?”

The blonde was slow to look up, and she met Winter’s eyes with a pained expression. The older woman immediately felt the need to turn back, to let Yang stew in her emotions.

 

_No. You’ll say your piece, and then leave if you’re asked. But you don’t give up now._

 

“Hear me out, please. I’ll be brief and leave you alone for the rest of the day afterwards if it’s what you want.”

Winter held her breath for what seemed like minutes, and then took a step closer when she saw Yang give a wary nod.

 

“Somehow things between us got messy quickly, and I wish that hadn’t happened. I believe I overstepped a boundary I wasn’t aware of, as well as failing to say what I wanted to; and you assumed I thought the worst of you because of my status and wealth.” Her voice was a whisper on the easterly winds. “Regardless, I want to apologize. Grabbing you was not acceptable in the slightest- I had just wanted you to stay so I could explain that you actually do interest me.” Winter took another step closer to Yang; her head was down, arms crossed and hand clinging to her cardigan in defense. 

 

“I’m sorry… I’m not exactly in a good place right now.” She murmured, looking up with eyes the color of trampled lilacs. “Haven’t been for a while. I’m getting better, but I don’t think you’d want to hang around me for the rest of the day… “

“You’re hurting. We’ve all been there, in some shape or form. I know from experience that keeping your distance does more damage than you think. I would honestly very much enjoy joining you and your sister for the day- if you were up for it. I don’t mind that you aren’t fully yourself, if my presence helps you get back to being that person.” Winter carefully offered a glass of wine to the blonde, trying her best to sound as genuine as she felt.

 

Yang stood there, shifting her weight to her left side as she stared at the glass and the girl.

“Why are you being so nice and understanding? Why me?” Her voice held the spirit of a little girl who had something dear ripped away from her. “You don’t know me.”

 

 _Why her indeed?_ Winter asked herself. _Why does it feel like I **do** know her?_

 

“I’m going to speak frankly now, and more than likely embarrass myself. You seem like someone who gives their heart and soul out to others in need, freely and with no questions asked. You radiate warmth and care, but there’s a dark shadow over you now that’s dampening your light. You don’t have to tell me a thing, I don’t deserve to know. But I want to be there for you. I’ve been… cruel and harsh to others in my life more than I’ve been kind and showed compassion. I’ve realized that now for a while, however something about you has made me want to finally act on it.” Winter saw that Yang was starting to tremble, and she was unsure if her words were helping or the opposite.

"May I keep you company? I won’t ask anything intrusive, you have final say on everything. I just want both of us to have a good time today.” Winter whispered, the two women within a foot of each other. The Ice Queen tilted a glass of wine to her lips, the other still out for Yang’s taking.

“Though I do insist you have a sample. I’m sure Ruby paid good money for the tour, and I have a hunch you’d be pleased with this Mapema Malbec; balanced bouquet with a tropical finish.”

 

Winter felt a lump in her throat as Yang stayed silent and unmoving, but smiled when the girl reached out gently with her left hand.

“Thank you. Please stay.” The younger woman softly replied, and Winter wanted to hold her in her arms then and there. Yang gave the wine a tentative sniff, a brisk swirl, and then an abrupt, thirsty gulp that finished the glass.

 

 _That was thirty-five lien worth of fine wine, not a shot of cheap tequila…_ Winter concealed a cringe. _It’s fine, you’re over-exaggerating. She can consume it as she likes, she probably doesn’t know how to properly taste wine anyway.  Although…_

_Oh, that’s a clever idea._

“How was it?” Winter questioned innocently, a small curl forming on her lips.

“S’fine. Didn’t taste much, though I taste coconut and some other fruit on my tongue now.”

“That’s the finish- the aftertaste, what the wine leaves behind as a parting gift.” Winter spoke slowly, a touch of sultry swank dancing off her tongue. “But there are hundreds of flavors to taste if you adopt a more… _attentive_ approach.” Her left hand was brought across her chest to rest her elbow upon it, half-full glass idly twirled as her eyes analyzed Yang.  

 

“I could show you, if you’d like.”

 

“And what If I just want to down as much wine as I can and leave slung over Ruby’s shoulders?” Yang countered with an arched eyebrow; she was cautious but curious, still unsure of whether to take Winter’s bait. The Atlesian could tell the heavy layer of charm was starting seep through the cracks in the blonde’s defenses, and decided to keep it up.

“There’s plenty of alcohol at your disposal on this trip to get you as sloshed as you’d like; but isn’t the thought of discovering a new world of tastes and smells to please your senses simply…” Winter took a half step in closer towards Yang, the space between the two shrinking until they were a hand’s length apart and the older woman was all but purring flirtatiously. “Alluring ?”

 

“Well...”

 

“Think of it this way.” Winter cut her off with the gentlest of smiles, her left hand raised and hovering near Yang’s lips. “Today is the chance to make memories you’ll never be able to create again. The bucolic location, the diverse drinks, the fascinating people… You could either look back at this tour years from now trying to remember details from a haze of inebriation, or…” Winter had taken a small step back, extending her own glass of Malbec to the gorgeous girl.

 

“You could live in the moment and experience an adventure you’ll be hard-pressed to forget.”

 

As soon as the words left the lace of her lips, Winter could tell something clicked in Yang’s mind. Her assurances and flirting had been slowly drying the damp sadness blanketing the island girl, and the final sentence had sparked a forgotten fire within.

“Alright Snowflake,” Yang’s voice held a challenge in its timbre, her burning eyes melting Winter’s as she carefully swapped the wine glasses. The older woman’s eyebrow rose in amusement at the nickname. “Help me make a memory. Teach me how to _really_ taste my wine.”

“With pleasure.” Winter replied simply, the sudden u-turn in the Valesian’s character catching her a little off guard. A quick glance behind Yang revealed that the tour was beginning to move again, and she motioned for the other woman to follow her behind them. The two well-dressed ladies walked at a leisurely pace, and Winter began to set her plan in motion.

 

“Wine can be enjoyed by anyone who so desires to revel in its splendor,” Winter was a seasoned veteran, dead-set on painting an exquisite portrait to help her new cadet. “Those that live to make the beverage pour every fiber of heart and soul into its creation; their fruits of labor allowing us to unwind after a troubling day, or sharpen our senses by rooting out each minuscule note. The passion for wine found me in the latter- I saw it as a hobby that would bring me both pleasure and a way to better my character, and I now have a higher appreciation for the tastes and smells that the world provides.”

 

Winter stopped at the entrance of the castle, turning to face Yang with a knowing smile. She slowly reached out towards the blonde’s left hand and asked for permission to make contact, remembering the previous reaction to contact. When she gave a short nod the older woman gingerly slid her hand around the Valesian’s wrist, raising it and her glass up a smidge above eye level.

“Tell me what you see in the wine.” Winter instructed, continuing through an incredulous snort from Yang. “I’m serious; the appreciation of the wine you partake begins with observing its color and clarity.” She moved in closer towards the skeptical woman, situating herself behind and to the left with her hand still on Yang’s.

“Notice the clarity: Is the wine limpid and pure? Or is there a billowing, cloudy haze rolling through your glass? Describe the colors you see: Do they change as you view from the rim to the center? Do they darken or lighten- what colors are the wine as a whole? Is it more of a deep garnet, or a smoldering ruby? Is it browning, or can you see yourself in a regal hue of royal purple?” Winter purred each question with growing passion into Yang’s ear, her face aglow.

 

Being that close to the island girl, Winter discovered not only was she warm hearted but warm bodied- whether it was natural, from the weather, or perhaps from the aristocrat’s words, great heat rose up from her bronze skin.

“Wow, okay.” Yang seemed surprised at the depth of the other woman’s words, and possibly moved by her verve. The blonde gave her best effort in analyzing the glass of wine as it glistened in the sun.

“It’s… really dark. It’s hard to tell the clarity… but I think it’s fairly clear. It doesn’t seem to be too cloudy, and I can faintly see the hills through the glass.” The Valesian took a great deal in giving her verdict, which both pleased and impressed Winter.

 

_She’s trying harder than I thought. Yang has some fire in her, after all._

“Very good. And the color? Describe to me the hues of the wine, and how they make you feel.“ Winter wondered if her captivating tone and intimate body language was affecting Yang, though she had an inkling that it was as the attractive blonde faltered.

“Well I- Hmmm. It’s… incredibly purple, dark purple. I know it’s not black, but almost… it makes me feel like I’m sauntering through the vineyard in the early hours of morning, the moon new and the night swallowing me up in an unfathomable darkness… but its not bad. I feel the rich purple surrounding my entirety, body enveloped in its warm, silky embrace. I’m alone, yet at peace…”

 

Yang had started with a falter but quickly escalated into a powerful trance, Winter knocked out of the blue with the illusion and utterly enraptured by her ethereal murmurs.

 

_Dust, she’s got the makings of a poet underneath it all, I was not expecti-_

“But then you join me in the intoxicating caress.”

 

Winter’s eyes tore open from daze, abruptly aware that she had unconsciously leaned into Yang’s shoulder and was inches away from full lips split into a devilish smirk. The porcelain face of the Atlesian was awash in an overwhelming sea of crimson as she pulled back in deep embarrassment. Yang had matched Winter’s seduction and landed a clean shot when the latter was distracted, and the wealthy woman wasn’t sure whether she was impressed, abashed, or aroused.

 

_All of the above, dust…_

 

“I, ah. Well.” Winter coughed, her fidgeting hands straightening out her powder blue sheath dress. “That was quite the description,  you sold yourself short earlier. You could snob wine with the most anal of ‘rich hot-shots’ if you keep going on like that.”

Yang flashed a wicked grin at Winter’s sudden change to defense, and with renewed spirit took another jab at riling up the white haired beauty.

“I didn’t know it was in me either,” The blonde partially lied and turned so that she was now immediately in front of Winter, who found herself almost backing up against the sun-roasted wall of Castello Di Tukson. “But what can I say? I guess when you find yourself in a _bucolic location_ …”

 

Yang took a stride forward as she sweetly sang the last two words deviously.

 

“With _delicious drinks_ …”

 

The Valesian moved closer again, Winter now burning up from the heat of the wall against her back and the heat coming from the blonde temptress she had foolishly awoken.

 

“And _fascinating people…_ ”

 

Yang didn’t even try to hide the noticeable glee in her brazen plagiarism; the two woman were an abrupt gale of wind away from being on top of each other, and Winter’s thoughts were betraying her with how much she could enjoy that scenario.

 

_She’s clearly teasing me; payback for my blatant flirting before._

_Dust, is this really happening?_

 

Winter hadn’t noticed that Yang had placed her right hand on the castle wall next to her head until the blonde began leaning it- with nowhere to go, the Atlesian accepted her fate and trembled in anticipation of what could come next.

 

“Anything can happ-“

As if some higher power wanted Yang to pay for her choice of words and Winter’s risqué fantasy, the blonde’s right arm buckled without warning and sent her crashing down into the other woman. 

“Ah shit!” Yang cursed as she went down, managing not to knock Winter in the face; the brunt of the impact hit the latter’s sharply pronounced collarbone instead. The Atlesian gave a small yelp at the collision and the two women unceremoniously fell to the ground. Winter heard the shattering of glass and managed to glance past the warm body on top of her to confirm the empty goblet she had been holding was indeed destroyed in the collapse.

 

 _At least the one with wine still in it was miraculously spared…_ The Atlesian noted as Yang scrambled to stand up, her goblet placed on a flat patch of grass.

 

“Are you alright?” The blonde asked, extending her left arm to Winter as to pull her up.

“I’m fine, aside from a probable bruised collarbone.”

"I’m so sorry, dust that was humiliating. My arm…” Yang didn’t finish that train of thought, though Winter detected that it was a touchy subject.

“I guess I got a little carried away, huh?”

“Perhaps. But seriously, Yang…” Winter trailed, almost too embarrassed at the quip that came instantly to mind to say it out loud.

“Yes?”

 

“You could have just said you were falling for me, instead of taking it literally.”

 

Yang took a second to stare incredulously at Winter and process what she uttered, before bursting into a thundering roll of laughter. She made a large display of the act, her obnoxious guffaws ripping through the air even though she had her hands on her knees and her head between them.

“It certainly wasn’t _that_ funny, now.” Winter insisted, a faint blush still remaining on her cheeks from the previous events. Yang had finally caught her breath and rose back up with a grin.

“It wasn’t, but it was pretty damn smooth. You’re something else, you know that?”

“I’ll take that as high compliment, thank you.” Winter smiled, reaching down for the unbroken goblet. She eyed the shards of glass from the broken receptacle.

 

“We should head back to the group. Lunch should be starting soon, and we need to let the employees know that there’s shattered glass out here.”

“Yeah, sounds good. What about my lessons though?” Yang was still all grins, but her eyes still held that captivating smolder. Not one to be bested so easily, Winter loosely swirled the Malbec in hand; she gave a smirk as she quaffed the remaining wine- mirroring the blonde’s response to her first drink- and then immediately started walking down the castle’s tunnel.

“Patience, Yang.” She called, bemused at the sound of hasty footsteps from behind. She turned to her side just in time to make eye-contact with the attractive Valesian.

 

“I’m not a very patient person, and you did promise me a whole new world of tastes and smells. Very big claim on your part.” Yang smirked.

 

“One that I promise to keep,” Winter countered with a chilled smile, which made Yang positively shiver.

 

“And one that’s definitely worth the wait. Besides, I think we both went overboard on the… flirting. Let’s set a kinder pace, shall we?” Winter offered, the sun hitting the two women as they entered the dazzling courtyard once more. Yang propped out her left arm for the Atlesian to take in response.

“Sounds good to me, M’lady.” The half-facetious chivalry caused Winter to chuckle, but she did blush as she took the arm and escorted her new acquaintance towards the Grand Barrel room.

 

 _…Well all of **that** just happened. _ The white haired woman recapped as they started down cellar steps.

 

_But I think this weekend is going to be much better than I thought…_

_Oh, and she's **definitely** interested in you, Winter._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two are different sides of a coin, I think. I think they have quite a number of similarities, just varied by their places in life and how they were raised. Hope you aren't too mad at the tease, but there will be more to come!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a comment/Kudos if you so desire.
> 
> Cheers~


End file.
